Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Four months on Magic Carpet come to end

The Pickens began "Operation Magic Carpet" in September when we left troops to occupy Japan and picked up Marines and other combat veterans and took them home, landing them in San Francisco.  For over four months we continued this operation, taking troops to the South Pacific to occupy Japan and other islands and bringing veterans home.

Our crew  changed, also, as seamen amassed enough points to be discharged.  Each round trip would see some leaving, to be replaced by personnel from ships that were being taken  out of service.  Near the end of this operation I was the only radarman left of the original crew.

Although we would spend only enough days in San Francisco each trip to take on troops and supplies, I had enough liberty to become well acquainted with the area.  Actually, about all   I did on liberty was  go to movies.  I saw new releases and very old movies.  Once some mates informed me they had found a bar that did not check ages and they invited me to go with them.  When asked to name my drink, I hesitated and stuttered and the barman demanded our identification and ordered us out.  Girls and people not in uniform could drink at 18 but military people had to be at least 21.

 We were a part of  the magic carpet until it completed its work on January 7.  We then prepared to get our ship ready to be decommissioned, but orders changed and we were ordered to go to Norfolk, which meant we would pass through the Panama Canal.  That was an experience we looked forward to as was a trip to the east coast.

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